A Year in the Making

Life takes its turns. We all give what we can and find happiness where it my be. I am enjoying my first cup of coffee this fine cold morning of December 31, 2008 and I am thinking about my year. How so many things can change in a moment and over the course of a year one can change substantially.

I have done many things this year. I have found myself a more diverse and powerful woman then I was at the close of 2007. I have discovered that love is something I cannot do without, passion is essential, and my emotional well being is paramount to the needs of others. Some of these things perhaps are not revelations to you, but for me they are keystones of this year.

I am at the core of my being a lover and as such I am in need of romance. I have come to realize over the course of this year a few things about me and romance; that I am deeply sad without it, there are few men who understand it, and that making it a part of my daily life is hard. With understanding comes change no matter how slow. Therefore, 2009 will be the year of romance.

I was on the course of becoming more adventurous and more diverse in my hobbies before this year, but I was kicked into fifth gear when I found myself friends with a few men who pushed my limits. (As always there are many people who have touched me over the year, but these men take center stage.) Growing is hard, harder still is doing it with others. All of these men in turn took delight in my strange affection for hiking, eating and cooking, climbing, movies, scotch, and coffee. One even taught me how to play a video game.

One pushed me when it came to expressing my emotions, climbing, communication about safety for the express purpose of not dying a grim and broken death (mine or his), and a new view on an old world. He also opened my existence to better understanding myself and those around me, allowed me to cry on his shoulder, and gave me quarter about many things and occasions.

One who let me go to become a different person. His presence in my year made things more challenging than I could have ever imagined, it was worth every moment. He alternately gave me room to breath and pressed to understand better who I was. In the process of all this pressure I became stronger and he too has come to know a different woman then the one he once knew. He also gave me back my love of travel.

One that was unexpected. His passion for photography reopened my world to beauty when I felt I had lost my passion for it. His photographs and his hiking abilities increased in quality every weekend we hit the trail. I will never forget that rainy hike and the little moment of zen on the rocks, it is one of my fondest memories of this year. His encouragement and sage advice on dating made the end of my year a real enjoyable learning experience, because lets face it dating sucks and I needed all the help I could get.

I am engaged to be married and could not be more pleased about it, I have quit my job and am moving to California, I am a runner, I love climbing though I am terrible at it. My world is about to change more dramatically then ever before and I cannot wait. I have the love and support of my friends and family. What more could I need? This is going to be a great year.

Happy 2009 everyone!